Charli XCX shared a preview of the track on her official TikTok page. The “Beg for You” singer captioned the post: “This one is really cute and fun and I’m so lucky to have Sam Smith on it with me.” Fans can pre-save the song here. 

@charlixcx this one is really cute and fun and i’m so lucky to have @Sam Smith ♬ In The City – Charli XCX & Sam Smith

The new song, which will be released next week, will mark the first collaboration for Charli XCX and Smith. Smith, who released his fourth studio album Gloria earlier this year, appeared in Charli XCX’s music video “Speed Drive” for the 2023 Barbie movie. The video, which has just under four million views on YouTube, received a positive reception. One person wrote: “The fact that she keeps her hyper pop/car aesthetic intact whilst adapting her music to her audience is actual talent”, whilst another person commented: “Charli XCX does it again. Seems like she’s never had a bad song release. Speed Drive doesn’t feel overwhelming nor underwhelming to listen to. It’s a bop that’ll continue sticking around with you for a long time. Kinda had this on repeat many times at this point.” 

Watch the “Speed Drive” video.

Charli XCX, who had teased the song last week on her Instagram, is gearing up for her next album. The “Fancy” singer, who earned the star the 2015 NME Award for Dancefloor Filler, released her last studio LP in 2022. Crash, the singer’s fifth album, became the star’s first album to top the UK Albums Chart with over 16 thousand copies sold in its first week. Across the pond, the album debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 with over 31 thousand copies sold – becoming the 31-year-old “Boom Clap” singer’s highest charting album in the US. 

Listen to Crash on Spotify.

Whilst it remains to be seen if the star will top the success of her fifth studio album, the singer has been working on her next album. Last month, the star had shared several photos and a video on her Instagram in a gallery – and captioned the post “album 6 I guess.” The post, which received over 241 thousand likes, had fans buzzing with anticipation over her next project.  

In an episode of the BBC soap that aired on Monday September 4th, characters Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) and Ricky Mitchell (Frankie Day) welcome their first child, a girl they have decided to name Charli.

After the birth of baby Charli, maternal Grandmother Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) asks the name of the child, and immediately presumes the name Charli has been chosen in honour of her late Uncle Charlie. She is soon corrected as she is told she had in fact been named after Cambridge born pop star Charli XCX.

The clip from the long running soap immediately went viral, even catching the attention of the 31 year-old singer herself. The day after the Eastenders episode aired, Charli XCX, who has a large following among the LGBTQIA+ community, re-shared the clip on Twitter with the caption “shout out my gays in the writers room!”.

shout out my gays in the writers room! https://t.co/ghOer7fI9K

— Charli (@charli_xcx) September 5, 2023

In response to the singer’s shout out, Eastenders story producer Kyri Zindilis replied to her tweet saying “It’s a pleasure Miss XCX”

It’s a pleasure Miss XCX… #EastEndershttps://t.co/MxXrC3j0uf

— Kyri Zindilis (@KyriZindilis) September 5, 2023

Since she came on the scene in 2010, Charli XCX has released 5 studio albums, featuring smash hit singles such as “Boys” and “Boom Clap”. More recently, the pop star has released the single “Speed Drive”, which featured on the soundtrack for Greta Gerwig’s 2023 blockbuster hit Barbie.

In addition to her successful music career, Charli XCX announced earlier this year that she will be embarking on an acting career as she is set to feature in a remake of the 1978 horror film Faces Of Death. She has previously done some voice work for the animated films The Angry Birds Movie and UglyDolls. 

Both Eastenders and Charli XCX fans were beyond excited by the writer’s decision for Lily Slater’s baby name, and filled the internet with comments and praise over the soap opera/music worlds uniting. One entertained fa commented “This is the most British crossover ever”

This is the most British crossover ever

— esra (@1989healy) September 5, 2023

Moreover, musician and Silver and Gold podcast host Ras Ali tweeted “This is so iconic!!!!!!”

this is so so iconic!!!!!!

— ras ali (@rasalistair) September 5, 2023

Eastenders airs every Monday-Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One.